Sydney
The South Pacific nation of Nauru has announced it is severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan and would instead recognise China, according to a government post on social media.
President David Adeang announced the decision on Monday in a national address posted to an official Facebook page, explaining “the Nauru government’s decision to recognise the People’s Republic of China”.
The Nauru government said “in the best interests” of the country and its people it was seeking full resumption of diplomatic relations with China.
It added that it would “sever diplomatic relations” with Taiwan immediately, and “no longer develop any official relations or official exchanges” with it.
“This change is in no way intended to affect our existing warm relationships with other countries,” the Nauru government statement said.
“Nauru remains a sovereign and independent nation and wants to maintain friendly relations with other countries.”
Following the switch, Taiwan in turn said it was ending diplomatic relations with Nauru “to safeguard our national dignity”, said Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taiwan strongly disagrees.
